The world's most dangerous countries

[tfcrew]

The world's most dangerous countries

• El Salvador
• Iraq
• Jamaica
• Honduras
• Colombia
• Venezuela
• Guatemala
• South Africa
• Sri Lanka
• Lesotho

Colombia is the fifth most dangerous country in the world, according to a report released by the Geneva Declaration Thursday.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/19996-colombia-is-5th-most-dangerous-place-on-earth-study.html

[Steamer]

Meh, try Detroit on a Saturday night. I remember back in the 80's someone compared Detroit to Beirut and the governing council of Beirut lodged an official complaint.

[tfcrew]

Years back, on the old Planet-Love foreign bride board... Asian, Russian and Latin American forums were all combined.
After the chaos of which brides were 'the best'...the forums were separated.

I [for one] would have been afraid to have gone to Colombia and wound  up [by mistake] hitting on one of Pablo Escobar's girlfriends or something.
 

[alex330]

Yes, looks about right. Most places in Central America are extremely dangerous for foreigners right now.

[acctBill]

How does Iraq make the list but not Afghanistan?  What about Somalia or Rwanda?

[tfcrew]

The report, which analyzes the effects of armed violence on development, revealed that the rate of violent deaths per capita in Colombia is the fifth highest in the world.

As stated in the comments [article] Mexico doesn't make the top 10 because there are so many more people than Afghanistan [107+ mil]

[bleau]

Atlanta should be on that list too.

[acctBill]

Found this interesting article while googling violence in the world.  Despite all the violence in the world, beheadings in the Middle East and Mexico, historically, we've never had it this peaceful. According to Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker in his book "The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined," Pinker makes the case that a smarter, more educated world is becoming more peaceful in several statistically significant ways. His findings are based on peer-reviewed studies published by other academics using examinations of graveyards, surveys and historical records:

- The number of people killed in battle — calculated per 100,000 population — has dropped by 1,000-fold over the centuries as civilizations evolved. Before there were organized countries, battles killed on average more than 500 out of every 100,000 people. In 19th century France, it was 70. In the 20th century with two world wars and a few genocides, it was 60. Now battlefield deaths are down to three-tenths of a person per 100,000.

- The rate of genocide deaths per world population was 1,400 times higher in 1942 than in 2008.

- There were fewer than 20 democracies in 1946. Now there are close to 100. Meanwhile, the number of authoritarian countries has dropped from a high of almost 90 in 1976 to about 25 now.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iUs53iabzit0ft8zCAArCyaKea0g?docId=73de989d76d74d18bdd001760f5b3142

[Chicagoguy]

I think some of our opinions are based on how the news services feature these stories.
  On Friday night last Oct 14 we had 17 people shot and stabbed in Chicago. If you were from another country and reading this and thinking of visiting here you might have second thoughts.
But I might add I have lived here all my life and I have never seen a crime or known anyone shot or killed. It is almost entirely in bad neighborhoods and early in the morning.

[Faux Pas]

I think some of our opinions are based on how the news services feature these stories.
  On Friday night last Oct 14 we had 17 people shot and stabbed in Chicago. If you were from another country and reading this and thinking of visiting here you might have second thoughts.
But I might add I have lived here all my life and I have never seen a crime or known anyone shot or killed. It is almost entirely in bad neighborhoods and early in the morning.

CG, as bad as that sounds, it's really no worse than any where else in the world IMO. Anytime you have the high concentration of population you'll have higher crime figures. I've been to Chicago at least a dozen times and never once even felt threatened.


A big difference today as opposed to just 10 years ago is that "everything" gets reported for public consumption. Crime states are actually down but the feel of it being more rampant than anytime before is ever present

[tfcrew]

From the link above..

— There were fewer than 20 democracies in 1946. Now there are close to 100. Meanwhile, the number of authoritarian countries has dropped from a high of almost 90 in 1976 to about 25 now.

I'd sure like to see that list of '100 democracies'.

[acctBill]

From the link above..
I'd sure like to see that list of '100 democracies'.

There is some debate as to what constitutes a democracy.  For instance countries such as Canada, the USA, the UK and others are listed as 'Full democracy' whereas France, Italy, Greece and others are categorized as 'Flawed democracy'.  Register at http://www.eiu.com/public/signup.aspx for more information. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index

[Ade]

There is some debate as to what constitutes a democracy.  For instance countries such as Canada, the USA, the UK and others are listed as 'Full democracy' whereas France, Italy, Greece and others are categorized as 'Flawed democracy'.  Register at http://www.eiu.com/public/signup.aspx for more information. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index

If a country where the more money you have increases your chance of winning an election is not a flawed democracy, then I don't know what is...

[acctBill]

If a country where the more money you have increases your chance of winning an election is not a flawed democracy, then I don't what is...

Ade the problem is that is probably most countries.  I know in the UK, unions are big contributors to those politicians that they favour, just like capitalists contribute most to their favourite politicians.  I don't know which group gets more from their contributors but the money is big on both sides, the political left and the political right. 

[Ade]

Ade the problem is that is probably most countries.  I know in the UK, unions are big contributors to those politicians that they favour, just like capitalists contribute most to their favourite politicians.  I don't know which group gets more from their contributors but the money is big on both sides, the political left and the political right.

Oh yes, I'm sure it is most if not all democratic countries. Some take it to extremes though and then proclaim that they are leaders of the "free world". 

[BC]

There is some debate as to what constitutes a democracy.  For instance countries such as Canada, the USA, the UK and others are listed as 'Full democracy' whereas France, Italy, Greece and others are categorized as 'Flawed democracy'.  Register at http://www.eiu.com/public/signup.aspx for more information. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index

Bill,

Has nothing to do with the type of government or lesser degrees of some ideal democratic form of government.  'Flawed' is a rating or grade of the performance of the particular democracy.  For example, Italy's main problem today is likely "The capability of the civil servants to implement policies".

[Shadow]

If a country where the more money you have increases your chance of winning an election is not a flawed democracy, then I don't know what is...

Depending on how legalized it is, it is called corruption.

[Daveman]

Depending on how legalized it is, it is called corruption.

Corrupitalism?      

[CanadaMan]

Depending on how legalized it is, it is called corruption.

Right and the current western philosophy is that a corrupt 'democracy'  is always better than a corrupt autocracy.